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Unus Alladin

New Zealand coach Robert Hielkema has warned his young Chinese crew aiming to compete in this year's Sydney to Hobart race to "respect Mother Nature" in the wake of the tragedy of Hong Kong-registered yacht Europa that went missing during Typhoon Mujigae.
Hielkema is overseeing a new Shanghai-based team comprising sailors from across China belonging to the Noahs Sailing Club.
They will make their debut at this weekend's Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club's Audi China Coast Regatta aboard Ark323, a 52-foot Transpac52 or TP52.
The Chinese team will compete in this week's Audi Hong Kong to Vietnam race before the world-famous Hobart race in December, a first for a Chinese crew.
Whenever these sorts of things happen they all have to look at themselves and learn from the experience
Robert Hielkema 
But they have been reminded of the dangers of sailing on the high seas with a joint Hong Kong-Philippines search still on for four missing crew members - one body has been found - after the 60-foot Europa ran into difficulties at the height of last week's typhoon during a delivery trip from Hong Kong to Subic Bay.
Experienced sailor Hielkema is hammering the importance of the crew working as a cohesive unit should they be confronted by danger.
"Whenever these sorts of things happen they all have to look at themselves and learn from the experience," said 31-year-old Hielkema, whose12-strong Chinese crew was formed in January. "It's a very good reminder to be safe and to make good decisions and to make good decisions early."

Saddened by Europa's plight, the Kiwi warned the ocean could turn against you at any time.
"Mother Nature … you can't stop it and we are in the most extreme environment [the South China Sea]. The only other [dangerous] place you can be is on top of Mount Everest because your life is in danger all the time, you're so far from help and so far from anyone. Number one is to respect the environment you're in, and then it's all about teamwork and how you should handle it," he said.

Hielkema was part of the "short crew" for Team New Zealand that competed in the America's Cup in 2003. He has competed in major races such as the Sydney to Hobart, where he helped race Ocean Skins, a timber-hulled sister ship to the first Wild Thing, which Grant Wharington sailed to many successes.
"In the ocean, things are actually a lot safer," he says. "It's when you do a race like Sydney-Hobart, it's an offshore race, but you're down the coast all the time and where you get from deep water to very shallow water. That's when the waves come up and become really big. In the middle of the ocean, the waves are more spread out and not as steep.

"It's when you come towards land, that's when it becomes rough and that's why around China, there have been very rough seas. Those waves are killers," he said.
The crew's bowman and navigator, Sai Jun, refuses to give up on his dream of sailing in open water even after hearing about Europa's plight.
"I felt sad and disappointed because we lost good sailors. There's danger in everyday life even when we cross the road. I want to be a sailor because I want to see the world. We need to take some risks sometimes," said 23-year-old Sai.
"It's my fate to be a sailor because I once visited a museum that featured Zheng He, the famous Chinese explorer [from the early Ming dynasty]. I was told I have his blood because my family are his direct descendents!" added Sai, who hails from Ningxia, in northwest China.
Meanwhile, Hielkema is pleased with the progress of his inexperienced, but keen team who could make history when they line up for the 71st edition of the Sydney to Hobart race starting on Boxing Day.
"They are looking pretty good. They are a bunch of guys who are very excited to have this opportunity. We got two guys from our team who have done 40,000 nautical miles each, which is a lot of experience [team leader Zhao Chuanbao and boat captain Sun Kaixi ]. There aren't many opportunities in China for these guys to race," said the Kiwi.

"The team need to complete the Hong Kong to Vietnam race [673 nautical miles] - it doesn't matter how fast or slow we are, as long as we complete it and we qualify for Sydney to Hobart."
Team leader Zhao said: "We don't have many experienced crew members, but they all have a good attitude and show great potential. We are trying to learn from each other and looking forward to our races.
"At the moment, we are trying to gain experience and not thinking about winning races."


Chinese crew reminded of sailing's dangers ahead of country's Sydney-Hobart debut

Coach Robert Hielkema  (centre) has high hopes for the fledgling crew of Ark323. Photo: Nora Tam

The Chinese crew members of Ark323 taking part in the Audi China Coast Regatta in Hong Kong are eyeing the Sydney to Hobart race. Photo: Nora Tam 

Team leader Zhao Chuanbao is hard at work aboard Ark323. Photo: Nora Tam

Ark323 cruises along Victoria Harbour during a training run. Photo: Unus Alladin

Kiwi coach Robert Hielkema brings a wealth of experience to the Shanghai-based team. Photo: Unus Alladin

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Kiwi  says the inexperienced sailors must be alert to the risks of racing on the open waters


New Zealand coach Robert Hielkema has warned his young Chinese crew aiming to compete in this year's Sydney to Hobart race to "respect Mother Nature" in the wake of the tragedy of Hong Kong-registered yacht Europa that went missing during Typhoon Mujigae.


Chinese crew reminded of sailing's dangers ahead of country's Sydney-Hobart debut

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Kiwi says the inexperienced sailors must be alert to the risks of racing on the open waters

Kiwi says the inexperienced sailors must be alert to the risks of racing on the open waters